


Exhaustion

by Anonymous



Category: Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland
Genre: Brother/Brother Incest, Exhaustion, M/M, Mid-Canon, Pining, Post-Lias Ending, Post-Rufus Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 13:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4747913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even Rufus can only push himself so far.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Exhaustion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tauri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tauri/gifts).



> This fic assumes you have gotten Lias's ending, Rufus's ending, and seen the DLC events with Rufus.

The window to Rufus’s study was open, letting in the air of Arls in. The air smelt different than it had before. In the past it was the smells of trees, forests, and the occasional burning wood. Now it carried cooking food, smithy smoke, and the fumes of alchemy. It wasn’t bad smelling, but it was a reminder that Arls would never go back to its old smells, just like soon it would never go back to its old monarchy.

Rufus looked up from his never-ending stack of paperwork. No, it wasn’t never-ending. There was an end in sight. Once Meruru’s time was up this would all be over. He’d no longer be serving a princess or a king.

There was a knock at the door, short and strong.

“Enter.”

The door opened and in stepped Lias. He was moving stiffly and there was a slight limp, favoring his right leg. Lias still had not completely covered from the time he protected the princess against the monsters in the woods.

Rufus rose from his hard-backed chair. His head felt light on his shoulder. All he had to do was ignore it, just like he always did. He stepped around the old desk. 

There were many things he has to talk to Lias about, such as whether he wanted his commission transferred post-merger and if his injuries were interfering with his duty in protecting the princess. Rufus opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.

Rufus felt weightless, like he had no body. He thought he heard his brother yell, but that was all he was aware of in the brief moments between collapsing and unconsciousness.

Dreams were a source of relaxation and escape for some and torture for others. To Rufus they fell in the first category, that is when he had enough time to get in proper sleep. His dreams consisted of living in a kingdom made entirely from sweets, and he was its king. It was a childish dream, one he would never admit to anyone but himself, but if one was asleep anyways and no one had to know what they were about, it was harmless.

Rufus slowly drifted back to consciousness. He was in his bed, in his nightclothes. 

When had he gone to bed? He couldn’t remember and he just had so much paperwork left to do. He tried to push himself up. It was hard to get more than a few inches up before his strength failed him and he fell back into the mattress.

The door opened.

“You’re awake,” Lias said. He was holding a tray in his hands. There was some bread, cheese, a bowl of soup and a mug of tea. None if it was very fancy, but it did smell very tasty.

“What happened?”

“You collapsed in your office. Exhaustion, over-work, and stress are what they said it was.”

“Well, now that I am rested I can return to the palace and resume my work.”

“No, you aren’t.”

“Lias, I am fine and I have a great deal of work left to do.”

“Not right now you don’t, besides I have my orders.”

“From whom?”

“The king himself, he said you are not to return to work until you’ve been cleared by a doctor.”

“Well, if it’s an order from the king then I have to obey it.” Rufus was frowning. He was obviously not pleased with the situation.

“I brought you some food. Do you think you’re strong enough to eat?”

“I’m not an invalid.”

Rufus struggled to push himself into a sitting position, but finally did so on his own. He rested against the wall, trusting it to help him keep upright. Lias gently set the tray down on Rufus’s lap. There was a small shaking in his hands, but he managed to eat and drink his meal. He hadn’t felt hungry when he woke up but now that he had food in front of him he felt famished.

He glanced out the window at the sky painted in a multitude of colors as the sun took cover beyond the horizon. It was already almost nightfall. It had been morning when he collapsed.

“I see I slept the entire day away,” Rufus said.

“Two.”

“What was that?”

“You collapsed yesterday. So you slept through two days.”

“I see.” Rufus let his hands rest on either side of his soup bowl. Two days wasted and how many more before he’d be allowed back to work.

“Totori is lending us the Homs to help while you are resting. They said they’ve helped you before.”

“They have and they did an exemplary job.”

“And Rorona said that she’ll help you ‘approvaling’ too.”

Rufus’s eyes widened in horror. While he could appreciate the enthusiasm of the young alchemist, he couldn’t let her approve things without his direct supervision.

Lias couldn’t help but laugh a little at the look on his brother’s face.

“Don’t worry. She doesn’t have any of the actual paperwork. She’s drawing you pictures and then stamping them for you.”

Rufus relaxed, the tension flowing out of him. “That’s a relief.”

“Oh, and Meruru said she was going to be dropping off some sweets. She mentioned it was a new alchemy recipe she was trying.”

“Why would she be doing something like that?” Rufus said, trying to cover up his interest.

“Only because it is the most efficient way to get you more energy,” Lias said. Lias knew all about Rufus’s sweet tooth. It wasn’t very well known outside the castle, but inside it was common knowledge. 

“If that’s the case, then that is acceptable.”

“Let me take care of this,” Lias picked up the tray. “Try to get some more rest.”

“I don’t think I will.”

Lias left the room and took the tray downstairs to the kitchen. He took his time cleaning the dishes off. He grabbed a pitcher and went outside to the house’s well. He filled it with clean, cold water. He fetched a glass and returned to his brother’s room.

Rufus was already fast asleep.

Lias set the glass on the bedside table, filled it with water, and then set the pitcher next to it. He looked over his brother, adjusted his pillow and tucked in his blankets. Lias hesitated for a moment and then brushed a kiss against Rufus’s lips.

He left the room, being careful not to make too much noise. He didn’t see Rufus open one eye to look at him. He also didn’t see his brother’s smile.

Maybe one day Rufus would tell Lias about the other set of dreams, the dreams that he knew Lias shared, but that day wouldn’t be until he was no longer in the service of the king and princess. He just couldn’t allow that type of scandal to happen.


End file.
